A Mile In My Shoes
by Erik Howlett
Summary: The grass seems greener under everyone else's sky. When an agrument over this between Chimpette and Renji forces Byakuya to take drastic measures, they'll get to see first hand what life is like in each other's skin. M for saftey, I own nil. Twoshot?
1. Of Greener Grasses

Disclaimer: Bleach is the sole property of Tite Kubo, licensed to VIZ Media. I do not claim any of the characters or elements of Bleach as my own, and am only writing this story as a leisurely past time and because I am a humble fan of this genre simply telling a story.

For those of you who don't know, in my humble opinion, the _**Zanpakuto Rebellion**_ and the _**Beast Swords**_ arcs of the Bleach anime were the best filler arcs I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Not only were they intriguing and very-well put together, but the fact that they were originally an unused story-arc for the manga penned by Kubo himself and that he actually helped to design the look for the arc made it all the more enjoyable. So, I decided that I would try and pen a story revolving around my favorite of the Zanpakuto Spirits, the Zabimaru Duo. I also decided that now would be a good time to try out a sort of 'personal challenge' of sorts that I'd placed on myself, seeing as it would be interesting to see how either Chimpette or Renji would react to the situation I'd be placing them in as a result of said challenge.

You see, after reading though a requested commission I'd issued on Deviantart awhile ago, I decided that I'd try my hand at writing a TG/TF story some day. So, a while ago, I finally worked up the nerve to pen this story and now am posting it here to see how you guys take to it. Needless to say, the content of a TG/TF means that this is an "M" rated story for safety later on, due to the elements of transformation, brief descriptive nudity, swearing, and so on. I'd originally planned for this to be a two-shot, but it has the potential to go on longer, due to the element by which the change takes place. But, I'll leave that up to you, the fans.

Well, that's enough jawing for now. Read on to find out what happens to both Renji and Chimpette as they are about to have a little change in perspective on each other's life, the hard way. By the way, this takes place after the Beast Swords arc has been completed, only, all the Zanpakuto Spirits have elected to remain in their current forms, and through Mayrui Kurotsuchi's efforts, have been stabilized as a result. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: Of Greener Grasses.**

_Klack!_

The sound of the wooden sliding door striking its frame echoing in his ears, followed by the soft _plath-plath-plath_ of bare feet on the smooth hardwood floor, Byakuya Kuchiki, head of the Soul Society's prestigious Kuchiki Clan and Captain of Gotei 13's sixth Division, breathed an exasperated sigh and gently set down the _fude_ calligraphy brush he'd been using to practice for the next session of the Seireitei's Calligraphy Society, which would be convening in only an hour and a half for their weekly meeting. He had been reviewing the character of choice for this meeting, that of _"tamashii"_ or "soul," and with each careful, fluid stroke of the brush, the ebony pathways of ink had taken its form beautifully. The more he practiced it, the more elegant it became, the more vibrant it seemed, and the more it stood out against the white face of the handmade rice-paper. Truly, it was one of his finest works to date, a masterpiece in and of itself.

And the atmosphere of the early morning had made the creation of the character all the more successful. The gentle breeze rustling through the leave on the trees and the blades of grass and the petals of the flowers outside his open door; the babbling sound of water running over the shapes of rocks both smooth and rugged in the garden outside as the small brook fed into his _koi_ pond, the barely audible footfalls of servants rushing to and fro about the house as they continued about their duties, and the happy song of the birds as they sang gaily in the trees as they greeted the day.

Sadly, every artist finds that reality often sends those little distractions and diversions their way. Today was no exception to that little rule.

"Are they still at it?" solemn Captain asked the newcomer in annoyance, his placid, regal visage a perfect veil to the irritation that he felt at such interruptions to his artwork.

"Yeah, and they have been for about fifteen minutes now," replied a youthful voice in equal exasperation, the sound of ruffling cloth and of a small, yet significant weight hitting the floor telling Byakuya that his guest had decided to take a seat to the right of him at the small table. "I'm here 'cause I got bored listening to them bicker and figured I'd detach and see if you're doing somethin' more fun." After a couple of seconds, during which Byakuya could feel the boy's gaze on him, he finished his thought. "Which was a big frickin' waste of time, 'cause all you're doin' is painting."

Byakuya didn't need to look up to know who he would see: a young boy with clear, blue eyes and jaw-length, crimson hair, dressed in a white robe similar to that of an Hindu priest that was cut short just above his abdomen to reveal much of his stomach with long sleeves that extended well past his hands, and a pair of puffy, white pants that were cut-off at the middle of his thighs. Around his neck was a gilded, circular collar with a small latch on the side where one might attach a leash. And his most unique and bizarre feature by far was the large serpent tail that sprouted from the base of his tailbone, its vanilla-colored scales reflecting ornately in the morning light. The boy was known as "Snakey," to those who knew him, one half of the Zanpakuto Spirit, _**Zabimaru**_("Snake Tail"). Normally, the boy would reside within the spiritual world of the _zanpakuto_ of his red-haired lieutenant, Renji Abarai, attached by his collar to his female counterpart, whom he affectionately referred to as "Chimpette," by the heavy black chain she wore around her waist. However, in the aftermath of the failed "Zanpakuto Rebellion," which he had pretended to participate in to fulfill a promise to his grandfather and destroy a traitor named Koga Kuchiki, the spirits of their zanpakuto had somehow remained, able to shift from physical to sword forms at a whim. It had taken some getting used to at first, but most of the _shinigami_ were starting to warm up to the fact that their swords were now their partners in both battle and everyday life.

"This is not 'painting,' as you so eloquently put it, Snakey," rebutted the Kuchiki head calmly, turning the page by the corner (so as not to muss the ink) so the character could face the young zanpakuto spirit and he could see it better. "This is calligraphy, something far more complicated than putting brush to canvas. You need to stay focused on the movements of the brush in your hands and the figure of the character in your mind to make the proper strokes. If one is offset even by an inch, the effort is all of naught. Still, no matter how difficult it is, this is-" Sadly for Byakuya, his train of thought became quickly derailed by the muffled sounds of an argument two rooms over reaching through the thin walls to his left. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the shapes of two people, both on their feet and engaged in a heated spat. Up until now, he had been able to block out the noise of both Renji and Chimpette bickering by focusing on the other sounds of the morning. However, now that he had a distraction, his concentration slipped. "What is it about this time?"

"Eh," shrugged Snakey nonchalantly, obviously bored. "It started off kinda nice when we first got here for the meeting. But after a bit of talking, Renji started complainin' about how tough his day was and said he was jealous of how easy we have it, and then things all went downhill from there. Chimpette's been arguing that she's got it harder because she's gotta be the one to manage our output of _reiryoku_ during a fight while taking care of me, and Renji's says he's got it harder because he's the one who's actually fighting _and_ he's gotta deal with other stuff like squad duties and training."

Nodding slightly, Byakuya wasn't all that surprised by this. Renji was always an outspoken person, prone to being cocky and smug at times, even though he had his moments. Arguing with Chimpette over something as meaningless as whose life was harder was something he could see the young lieutenant doing. Besides, seeing as she was the dominant part of Zabimaru, it made sense that Chimpette would share in Renji's trademark stubbornness, as well as similar feelings of stress and exhaustion over her own functions as his zanpakuto. The sentient swords _were _a part of their souls after all, and it made sense that they would possess parts of their personalities. Sometimes, it's hard to look in a mirror and see yourself as you truly are, and that was something that a lot of the _shinigami_ in the Soul Society were dealing with right now, having to examine themselves through getting to know their zanpakuto's spirits. However, a heated argument over something as trivial as this was not the reason Byakuya had allowed them to attend this week's meeting.

Deciding that he needn't get involved at the moment, and that Renji and Chimpette would sort this out amongst themselves' or eventually get bored, Byakuya decided to take this time to try and impart some culture on the red-haired boy seated beside him, and withdrew two fresh sheets of paper from the stationary to his left. Laying one before the boy and the other in place of the first for himself, the Kuchiki heir plucked a new _fude_ from a small vase on the table and placed it in Snakey's hands, somewhat confusing the zanpakuto spirit. Smiling lightly at his perplexed expression, Byakuya dipped his own brush in the ink from his stationary and turned to begin the first few strokes. "Why don't we forget about those two for now, and I'll teach you how to draw something like I did a minute ago, hm?"

Taken somewhat aback by the Captain's sudden fatherly nature, Snakey simply stared at him for a moment, then at the paper in front of him, and then at the original work Byakuya had finished only minutes before he had come in. "Is it hard?" wondered the young zanpakuto curiously, slowly warming up to the idea.

"Well, if you go into it with an attitude like that, yes," answered Byakuya in a scholarly tone, earning an annoyed scowl from Snakey as he finished the first two strokes and moved on the third. "The trick is to keep your mind clear of all distracting thoughts, to focus your will and being into each motion, almost like one would focus their _reiryoku_ to achieve certain feats. It does take some getting used to, but-"

Just then, someone, whether it was Renji or Chimpette couldn't be determined through the screens, decided to put their foot down to emphasize their point in the argument… **hard**_**.**_ Needless to say, the vibrations from that one motion were strong enough to travel across two rooms and send a shudder through the table as Byakuya attempted the next stroke, eschewing his intended movements and causing him to make a significantly large and ugly slash of black ink across his nearly perfect _tamashii_ character. The moment that happened, the Kuchiki heir's face went from calm and fatherly, to surprised, grieved, and somewhat noticeably irritated all in one fell swoop. Now, Byakuya Kuchiki was not the easiest person in the world to make angry and have it show outwardly by his expression, but from the look in his eyes and the way he gripped his _fude_ brush so tight that it looked as though it could snap at any moment, Snakey could tell that he was majorly pissed, and made a mental note to _never_ screw with this man's calligraphy.

"Uh-oh," the zanpakuto breathed softly, cowering in reverent fear of Byakuya as he could almost feel what was coming next. _'Boy, are Renji and Chimpette gonna get it now!'_ However, instead of rising to his feet and exiting the room to berate both lieutenant and zanpakuto for their behavior and utter disregard for his hospitality, Byakuya never left his spot on the floor. Instead, he took a few moments to breath and calm himself, centering his mind and emotions as he resisted the urge to let his own zanpakuto spirit, _**Senbonzakura**_ (One Thousand Cherry Blossoms) loose to let him take care of them. After two minutes of this quiet reflection, the Kuchiki heir opened his eyes and cast his gaze in the direction of the continuing spat.

"If they truly wish to know which of them as the more difficult life, then so be it," he said with a controlled, aristocratic tone, shutting his eyes once more as he channeled a steady flow of _reiryoku_ into his left arm, having set down his brush. Not once leaving his _seiza_ (the proper way of sitting in Japan), he stretched forth his hand in the direction of the two arguing figures, closing it into a fist and then pointing his thumb and pinky finger at Chimpette and Renji respectively. As he did so, a rose-colored, mist-like tendril of spiritual energy formed itself around his forearm from the elbow forward, a series of pink sparkles flowing about it life fairy-dust. In front of his hand appeared a square-like shape of rosy energy, its surface shimmering magnificently, like that of freshly cut glass. Watching all the while, Snakey didn't really know what was about to happen, but he had a pretty good idea based on what Byakuya had just said.

"_Grazing sword of gathering clouds. Jade benevolence, eighty-eight roots and branches. Raindrops, echoing cheers, lingering doubts, hidden in shadow and rock, enlightening pane, white visage. Spread wide your hands and return light to the heavens."_ The incantation complete, Byakuya opened his eyes and cast a sideways glance at the veiled shapes of Renji and Chimpette, ensuring that his targets were still the only things in his line of fire. Convinced of this, he finished his recitation. _"__**Bakudo # 100, Yuta no Kagami. **_(Way of Binding # 100, Eight Hand Mirror)_"_

With a scent not unlike that of cherry blossoms in bloom accompanying its release, the mystical energy of the one-hundredth _bakudo_ shot forth from Byakuya Kuchiki's hand with surprising speed and with a silence that was quite uncharacteristic of a _kido_. Even more intriguing was that it did not burn a hole through the paper and wood of the walls it was aimed at, but rather it phased through them as though traveling through the formlessness of water itself, giving the spell an appearance not unlike that of a will o' wisp. Gliding soundlessly through the air and wood and paper, the strange _kido_ sought out its quarry, with nothing deterring it from the path it had been placed upon.

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To their defense, both Renji Abarai and Chimpette had no way to know what was coming for them.

The _Yuta no Kagami_ spell was a soundless thing, a ghost to the senses of all save the one whom had initially cast it and those whom he or she allowed to see its creation. There was no way for either _shinigami_ nor zanpakuto to tell that they were going to be hit with a _kido_ that was about to have more of an impact on them than they could ever imagine, and even if they were, the pair were far too wrapped up in their own, petty squabble to pay it much attention. They had been at this for twenty minutes now, and neither side was showing any sign of giving an inch or wavering on their opinion.

Chimpette for one couldn't believe that Renji was so insensitive to her position as his zanpakuto as to not take her feelings and opinions into consideration, or that he would even go so far as to say that he had it much harder than she did. The nerve of that guy! She was the one who had to manage both his _reiryoku_ and that of herself and Snakey, not to mention that she was the one who had to put up with the brat day in and day out, being attached to him at the hip like she was. She felt like she was a babysitter twenty-four hours a day and three-hundred sixty-five days a year, and both Renji and Snakey were the babies! On the other side of the spectrum, Renji just thought that she was being bull-headed as usual, thinking herself right and everyone else wrong. She just had no idea of the responsibility that he had to shoulder as the lieutenant of the 6th Division on a daily basis. Monitoring the training of new members, taking care of the official duties and reports to both the Captain and Commander-Captain, filing his own reports, overseeing the changing of the guard, patrolling their section of the Seireitei and the Rukongai District as well as the Human World, checking the squad barracks to make sure everything was in order, running errands, and keeping pace with his own training and social life. There were days were he felt like there was no time for himself!

"**Just once, I wish you could see how hard it is to be me!"** they both shouted at one another defiantly, slamming their foreheads together comically as a sort of "no-hands" pushing match ensued to see who would give first, both parties glaring at one another all the while.

At that moment, it was as if the universe had decided to take notice and said, in a smart-alecky tone, "Wish, granted."

Emerging wraith-like from the sliding door in the front of the room, the pinkish energy slithered silently through the air towards its targets, snaking its way over the small table in the middle of the room that both Chimpette and Renji had one foot on as they pushed against each other's head in a comedic fashion, threatening to knock over the elegant porcelain tea-cups they had been presented with by the servants upon their arrival. Pausing in midair for a moment, the rosy mist gathered itself up in the way a cobra would rear up to strike, as if observing its intended victims with some form of curiosity. Then, without a moment's more of hesitation, it immediately split into two streams of energy and struck both shinigami and zanpakuto square in the solar plexus, coating their bodies in its misty embrace like a second skin before absorbing into their forms. For Renji and Chimpette, it was like being hit with a mild electrical shock, kind of like one you would receive from touching another person or a metal object after rubbing your socked feet on the carpet. It wasn't too intense, but it was startling enough to cause them both to cease their pushing match and stumble back off the small table with a simultaneous yelp of surprise before examining themselves as if to look for any damage to their person.

"What the Hell was that?" wondered Chimpette aloud, her delicate fingers tracing the skin between her ample cleavage where she'd felt the shock. Normally, Renji would've probably told her to stop doing perverted things like that around other people and she would retort that he was over-analyzing things, but he too was preoccupied at the moment with a similar sensation, his hand patting down his muscled pectorals beneath his black _kosode_ as if expecting to find a trace of the static that had caused his own shock. However, he could find no such thing, but decided to pat down his robes just to be sure no remaining electricity lingered in its fibers, hoping to disperse it into the air or the floor.

"I'm not sure, but it felt like a little static jolt or something," answered Renji cautiously, his attention somewhat divided at the moment. Strange, they had been touching each other for the past few minutes and yet they had only felt the shock a few seconds ago. Did they happen to brush up against something when they'd butted heads, or did Chimpette's fur outfit carry some hint of static that just decided to rub her in the right way to transfer the charge? "We probably just brushed against something is all."

"Yeah… Yeah, that's gotta be it," conceded the rose-haired woman absentmindedly, feeling oddly disoriented after what just happened, as if her mind were in a thick fog. Remembering they had just been in a heated argument for quite some time, Chimpette concluded that maybe this little static shock had come at just the right time. Neither of them would budge on their opinions, so what was the point on continuing any further. Still, all of that pent up wrath had to go somewhere. "Well," she began as she rose to her feet and turned for the door, "I'm outta here."

"Where are you going?" asked Renji curiously, still feeling some lingering portion of their argument on his lips.

"Where do ya think, brainless?" Chimpette shot over her shoulder in annoyance as she pushed open the sliding door to leave, casting her partner a withering glare as she did so. "To blow off some steam." Thank God the Kuchiki Clan valued staying at the top of their game! That little wooden dummy out back was about to end up looking just like she imagined Renji's face right about now. Just thinking about her fists hitting and splitting the oaken frame with all their might made her begin to clench and unclench her free hand reflexively in anticipation as she shut the door behind her.

"Um… Okay then. Have fun, I guess." Renji sheepishly offered a subtle, yet well-meant wave to his zanpakuto, even though he knew she couldn't see him and was already well on her way to the backyard, her tall, curvy silhouette flickering in and out of view between the panels of the walls as she slowly disappeared from sight. He'd seen her pissed off before, and he was particular thankful to have dodged _that_ bullet. Convinced she was finally gone, he allowed himself to relax a bit and slumped back against the far wall, the collective mass of exhaustion he'd been fighting from the past few days, and even the last few hours, seeming to suddenly bear down on him like some great weight. Man, was he tired! However, he knew of one way that would relieve some of this stress and take his mind of his spat with Chimpette, one that had just been installed into the Kuchiki Manor after Senbonzakura's run in with Haineko and Tobiume a couple of days ago.

"I'm gonna take a bath."

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Having witnessed Renji and Chimpette's little shock, Snakey looked on silently as his partner's silhouette turned and walked from the room towards the west side of the house, where the recently installed hot-spring bath was located. Being the lieutenant's shadow as he and Chimpette were, Snakey recalled that the sauna-like addition to the manor had been painstakingly built following the fruitless attempts of his fellow zanpakuto, Haineko and Tobiume, to attempt to get a look at what Senbonzakura's face looked like under his mask. It had been laughable at the time, but the incident had prompted Byakuya to reconsider the construction of such an amenity to his home. However, that was not the chief thought present in the young zanpakuto's mind as he switched his gaze from the empty room back to the calm and regal visage of Byakuya Kuchiki, whom had returned to the task of repainting the character that had been ruined moments earlier on another piece of paper. From the look on his face, you could barely see a trace of the man who had cast the _kido_ on his partners, almost as if none of it ever happened!

"So… What now?" queried Snakey in anxious curiosity, feeling as though something was missing, that his expectations for what had just transpired had been thrown out the window.

Byakuya, in response, simply continued with his calligraphy, not even once taking his eyes off the page as he addressed the serpent-half of Zabimaru, his focus mainly on the brush strokes of the character before him. "Patience, Snakey, patience. You'll see soon enough." Saying this, Byakuya paused for a moment, briefly taking his eye from his work as he cast a sideways glance upward, as though remembering something or trying to contemplate what he'd just said. In doing so, a slight smirk crossed his lips that both heightened Snakey's curiosity and sent an uneasy chill up his spine all the way to the tip of his tail. "Or rather, you'll _hear_ soon enough." With that, Byakuya, returned to his work, but not before gesturing to the other sheet of paper that he'd set out for the young zanpakuto. "In the meantime, why don't we continue with that lesson I was talking about earlier, hm?"

Realizing he had no other choice but to wait for the outcome of the _Yuta no Kagami_ to appear, Snakey gave a slight shrug and resigned himself to his fate, taking his seat at the Captain's side as he picked up the brush once more. In the back of his mind though, he couldn't help but chuckle as the possibilities of what the _kido _doing to the bodies of Renji and Chimpette and this very moment. Yes sir, he was gonna get a laugh out of this, one way or another.

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Author's Note: Oh boy, True Believers! Looks like Renji and Chimpette are in for quite the paradigm shift to say the least. What will happen now that Byakuya's _kido_ is in effect? How will this help to settle the argument between Shinigami and Zanpakuto? Will Snakey really get a good laugh out of this at their misfortune? The answer to these questions and more will be answered in the next chapter, so read on to find out and remember to R&R, keeping in mind that flames will be immediately doused, trolls will have their bridges dropped on top of them, and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.


	2. The Change Begins

A Mile In My Shoes.

By Erik Howlett.

Disclaimer: Bleach is the sole property of Tite Kubo, licensed to VIZ Media. I do not claim any of the characters or elements of Bleach as my own, and am only writing this story as a leisurely past time and because I am a humble fan of this genre simply telling a story.

Well, gang, it's time for the fun to begin. With Chimpette and Renji now thoroughly infected by the power of the _Yuta no Kagami_ as a result of their destruction of Byakuya's precious calligraphy, the time has come for them to truly see which of them has the more difficult life. But for that to happen, they're gonna need to undergo a little, 'cosmetic surgery' of sorts to really get the feel for what it's like to live in one another's skin. Will they learn their lesson from this experience? What fate awaits them as Byakuya's _kido_ activates? Will hilarity ensue as a result? All I can say, True Believers, is read on to find out!

Oh, and I'd like to mention that the warning of "M" rating in the last chapter takes place in this one mostly, as it is here where the metamorphosis takes place. Just making sure you know for personal and censorship reasons on the part of the 'innocent kiddies'. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy it!

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**Chapter 2: The Change Begins.**

"Ahhhh," sighed Renji as he lowered himself slowly into the therapeutic embrace of the _onsen,_ its water's working their magic on his taxed and tired muscles already.

The steam-filled room had all the appeals of a classic hot-spring: cobblestone floors, wooden pathways that led directly to the boulder encompassed waters of the bath, small cubbyholes against the far way by the entrance for clothing and other apparel (where he'd stored his headband, sunglasses, armband, and _shihakusho,_or "Garment of Dead Souls"), a small bathing station to the right of the baskets, and a few decorative pieces of plant-life sprouting up here and there around the bath. Beyond all of these amenities, on the opposite side of the pool-sized bath, was a small screen that veiled the interior from the elements outside, yet still allowed some light to shine in during the day when the overhead lamps weren't required. Not only that, but since some of the _Seireitei_ had come up to pace with most of the Human World's technological advances, the introduction of speaker-rocks had also been included in the construction of Kuchiki Clan's _onsen_, pumping the welcoming, serene sounds of a _koto, biwa, shakuhachi,_ and _shamsien_ into the bath from a hidden CD player somewhere in the room. The combination of the atmosphere, the therapeutic properties of the steam and the minerals in the water of the bath, and the music all helped to calm the mood the lieutenant had been in most of the morning.

All in all, he felt more relaxed than ever before. He really needed to thank his captain for allowing him access to this part of his home, once he had finished with his bath of course. As he sat there on one of the rocks beneath the clear surface of the water, the moss clinging to its frame acting as a sort of cushion for his bare buttocks, he reclined back against the rocky edge of the bath, tiling his head upwards to stare blankly into space as he felt the aches and pains of the past few days begin slip way and dissolve in the waters. Everything was slowly leaving his body, as if he were going through a full detox of life itself. The tightness in his muscles began to loosen, the tension in his lower back began to ease, the kink in his neck slowly melted into oblivion, the stiffness in each of his joints began to drift away, the aches in his extremities all started to vanish, and even the migraine he'd felt coming on during his argument with Chimpette was now starting to weaken.

'_Chimpette…,'_ he thought quietly to himself, a slight twinge of guilt tugging at the back of his mind for berating her like he had. Their whole argument now seemed pointless to him, like they were acting more like children than Snakey or Yachiru from the 11th Division. They were supposed to be adults; they should've been able to see the idiocy behind their words and just dropped the subject, agreeing to disagree. But they didn't, or rather, they couldn't. Their personalities and their behaviors were so much alike that they couldn't help but rub each other the wrong way, much like it was when he first met Ichigo Kurosaki for the first time. But, it was different, arguing with Chimpette. It was like he was arguing with himself, and in a sense he was. It was difficult to see it sometimes, but that bull-headed part of him was reflected in her, and that was something he needed to learn to control.

"I guess I should apologize to her when I'm done here," Renji admitted dolefully with a long sigh, closing his eyes in peaceful relaxation as he reclined his head, his long crimson locks (which he'd taken out of their pony tail before entering the bath) becoming a pillow to his neck even as they tickled his tattooed upper-back slightly beneath the water. "Still, she does have it a lot easier than me. Heh, I wonder what it would be like to be rid of all this stress for a while? No patrols, no paperwork, no report-filing, no mediating between squad members, no babysitting newbies during training. Man, that'd be the life."

Having said his piece, he decided to just enjoy the serenity of the onsen for a while, and allowed melodic rhythms of the music and the massaging warmth of the bath to soothe him and dull his senses, his entire body becoming numb with restfulness as his mind drifted off into space.

The moment Renji shut his eyes and his mind slipped from cognitive, conscious thought, the full effect of the _Yuta no Kagami_ that Byakuya had placed on both him and Chimpette as punishment for their behavior suddenly and swiftly began to take effect, a pinkish glow haloing the semi-conscious _shinigami's_ form. Now, because of the cascading warmth of the onsen and the healing properties of both its waters and the ambient steam that it gave off, the physical sensations of the transformation the 100th _bakudo_ triggered were somewhat dulled to the point where they were almost nonexistent. Also, seeing as he and his fellow victim were of the same height and mostly the same weight, that part of the metamorphosis was not as drastic or extreme as the rest.

Still, make no mistake, as his mind was lost in the relaxing spell of the onsen, Renji Abarai, lieutenant of Gotei 13's 6th Division, began to change.

The first steps were merely cosmetic in a sense. The thick, ebony ink of the many intricate tribal tattoos that adorned his upper body as mementos to his accomplishments over the years slowly began to dissolve into his skin, living no trace of their existence on his dermis. Next, beneath his closed eyelids, his pupils altered and changed color, cerulean blue giving way to a piercing, emerald green, like the color of the deep forest in spring. Content that his eyes were finished, the change shifted its attention to his skin, which began to darken a bit as it became lightly tanned, though this was nowhere near as deep a shade as that sported by the famous Yoruichi Shihouin. Not only was it tanning, but its texture was softening as well, calluses, scars and body hair melting away to leave behind skin that was incredibly smooth to the touch. While this was happening, his already damp hair was experiencing something of the opposite nature, the fiery crimson strands now lightening to become a rosy shade, whilst a set of thick, black lines appeared in those follicles nearest his scalp, the coarse strands starting to lengthen and spiral downward. In moments, a few month's worth of hair had grown passed in mere seconds as it cascaded down into the water to flow out around him, and if at full-length, it would undoubtedly measure past his knees!

At the same time, his hands and feet were beginning to change as well. His fingers became finer and more delicate, with his fingernails following suit, almost a quarter inch in length. His feet started to become smaller and more graceful as well, an odd sight, had he been able to see it and not off in relaxation. At the same time, his neck muscles began to rearrange themselves, his Adam's apple retracting back into his throat to reveal a smoother, more effeminate neck. Beneath that, his vocal cords were shifting as well, reforming to give his voice a more sensual pitch on par with that of a professional soprano. Behind his lips, his canines grew as well, lengthening to become considerably sized fangs. As these changes were happening, his face began to alter as well. His eyebrows began to thin out, eyelashes doubled in size to turn thick and curled, his lips became full and sensual, his nose became smaller and narrower, and even his cheekbones shifted to a more feminine position. Had he looked in a mirror at that moment, his face would look identical to Chimpette's!

It was then, after his face had become the equal of Chimpette's own profile, that the more drastic changes began to kick in. The energy of the _kido _shifted its' focus to his core body, shaving off more and more of his dwindling male appearance to give him more of the elegance of the female he was slowly becoming. This also helped to make his muscles, already hardened from training and combat, more pronounced along a more slender frame. His thighs became thick and supple curved, creating the kind of legs that seemed to go on for miles and would drive even Olympic athleates wild with envy. Renji's biceps twitched and bulged along smoother toned arms. In moments, his chest began to shrink and narrow out, large pectoral muscles all but vanishing from his build.

Even further beneath the surface of the water, Renji's numbed joints and bones were spared some discomfort as they crackled and his waist began to collapse, his stomach tightening to become somewhat waspish and more alluring, while still retaining the well-muscled abs he had flaunted once before. At the same time, his hips began to flare out and grow wider, leaving him with a rather full figure, one more fit for baring children. In conjunction with this, his small male ass grew out, ballooning into a full, round posterior. If not for the moss beneath his bottom already cushioning his seating, Renji might very well feel as though he were sitting on an incredibly soft pillow with his new plump, heart-shaped tush. A quick tug on the base of his spine further perked his newly padded rear. Still, the change went unnoticed, even as the energies traveled further downward on his body. Now, normally, a change _this_ drastic would have caused anyone male to notice it, but in his current state, the lieutenant had no way of knowing as his crotch began to reform, the lack of male-defining organs diminishing as they were reshaped to become what would unmistakably be recognized later as a woman's vagina.

Finally, the final change that would undoubtedly draw Renji from his pseudo-slumber and into the strange new reality he was becoming went underway, the energies of the _Yuta no Kagami_ traveling back up his body to focus on his chest, satisfied with his new bottom heaviness. As it went, there was some twisting and shifting internally, as organs began to rearrange themselves for different uses. Though already diminished to a fraction of its former size, the lieutenant's hardened pecs gave way to more plushness, layers upon layers of fatty tissue piling over them as his chest expanded outward, swelling at a steadily increasing rate. Within moments, the coup de' gras of his metamorphosis was complete as the last of Renji's masculinity faded away. Pulled to the water's surface by their natural buoyancy were a pair of plump, full and inviting breasts the same caliber as Chimpette's, complete with a subtle beauty mark on the left one near the inside of his, or rather HER, cleavage. Just then, as the changes finished, Renji was at last brought out of her daze by the slight tugging on her shoulder muscles that her new breasts made as they bobbed like corks on the surface of the onsen.

"Hm?" she thought aloud in something of lax state of mind, puzzled by the strange new sensation that pulled at his chest. "What the Hell is that?" Just then, Renji noticed the new, higher pitch in her voice, and almost immediately her eyes snapped open, wide as dinner-plates. _'Hold on a sec, was that… Chimpette's voice? No, no way, it couldn't be. I'm in here alone, and she's outside training. But… That voice just said what I thought about saying. And, I definitely felt my mouth move.'_

Confused and cautious at the exact same time, Renji swallowed hard and forced herself to sit up in the water, the strange tugging sensation continuing, though this time it had more of a jiggle to it. And something else; she could feel that something else, something extremely important, was now missing in action. Slowly reaching under the water, her hand gently felt around her newly female crotch, whimpering slightly upon discovering the warm vertical slit that had replaced HIS two best friends. In a panic, Renji shot to her feet, water from the bath spraying everywhere as her hands shot to her chest to grasp her new breasts, a sudden gasp of both surprise and fear escaping her lips upon actually finding purchase of that part of her new anatomy and she stared down at them with jaw slacked and hanging open. It was then that she felt the dampness of her hair clinging to her back, and even further downward with its newfound length. Her hands didn't know what to do for a while, flying this way and that in a comedic panic as they when from one part of her altered physiology to another.

"Wha-what the fuck's going on?" she shrieked in fright, stumbling a bit in the onsen as he tried to get the hang of his new center of gravity. "What the Hell happened to me? I'm a fucking girl! I'm-!" It was at that moment that she finally caught sight of her reflection in the steamy waters of the bath, and yet, it was not her own. No, this was a face that should not have been on her body at all, a face that she knew all too well. "I'm… Chimpette?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" came a loud scream of terror from behind her, one that not only arrested her attention at the sheer immensity of its volume, but shook the very foundations of the mansion as well. Causing further fright and panic to grip Renji's mind, she realized that she knew that voice. That was her voice, or at least the voice she used to have in her original, male body! Just what the Hell was going on around here?

It didn't take long for the reasoning behind the phenomena to click in her mind. A second after the scream had silenced, Renji looked down at her new body, realizing how much it looked exactly like Chimpette's, then slowly glanced over her shoulder in the direction the voice had come from as the full weight of what was going on started to sink in.

"Oh, please, don't tell me…" she groaned pathetically as she quickly lifted herself out of the onsen and made to collect her _shihakusho_, still weirded out at feeling the tugging of her newfound breasts on her chest and the sashaying motion of her hips as they swayed back and forth as she walked. Even drying off felt bizarre, as there were sensations from probably a dozen different sets of nerves that shouldn't be there. Still, she couldn't think about that now, she had to confirm if her suspicions were true, even if, deep down, she wanted to blow all this off as being some strangely realistic hallucination from staying in the steam-bath for too long.

Upon reaching into the basket for her effects, she was surprised to find her fingers touching not the smooth fabric of her black uniform, but something like coarse fur. Yanking the furred article out in irritated annoyance, she found that not only had her body changed to become an exact copy of Chimpette's but so had her _shihakusho_! What had once been a multi-garment uniform had now condensed into a simple unitard of dark green fur that was open slightly in the front to reveal a good portion of her sizeable cleavage and inner abdomen before stopping just below where her bellybutton would be. Not only that, but there was also a thick black chain lying in the basket as well, supposedly replacing what had been her _obi_. Reluctantly, Renji decided that if she was going to get to the bottom of this, she would have to put it on. Sure enough, the fur unitard fit like a glove, and it surprisingly held her significantly ample bosom and kept her breasts from spilling out as well. Knowing she couldn't delve much further into her questions without getting to the heart of this mystery. Quickening her pace, she practically raced for the door and threw it open…

-Only to find herself staring face to face with her male form, which seemed equally surprised to see her as she was, looking like Chimpette as she did.

For a moment, neither one said anything, simply staring at each other in shock and amazement, looking each other up and down to take in the full effect of the change they had undergone. It was uncanny! They both seemed to be staring at their perfect doppelganger, each resembling the other's original form right down to the smallest detail. Just then, both of them decided to try something, just to see if all of this was real. Without warning, either of their hands shot out and took hold of something on the other's body, something physical that might warrant a reaction of some kind. Renji immediately went for one of the lines of her former self's tribal tattoos not covered by the black uniform, whilst her male-form's double went for a strand of hair and yanked it out hard.

"OW!" shrieked Renji in discomfort, her free hand darting to the spot on her head and massaging the pained area.

"YIKES!" shouted her double in response to the cold touch of her hands, shivering a bit. At that point, either of them pulled back their hands and clutched them gingerly, almost a perfect mirror of each other. Staring at the other intently, it was Renji's clone who broke the silence. "Renji?"

"Chimpette?" replied the lieutenant in confusion, the sudden widening of her zanpakuto's eyes only serving to cause her own to do the same as her hunch was proved correct. They'd somehow been transformed into one another!

"**You're me, and I'm you?" **exclaimed both shinigami and zanpakuto at the same time in befuddled panic, pointing from each other to themselves and then back and forth in a truly hilarious fashion. Just then, both Renji and Chimpette felt as though they were being watched, stopping their exclamations of surprise and disbelief to slowly and warily turning their heads in tandem to survey their audience. To their further surprise, who else would be standing there, a smirk on his face that barely held back a roaring fit of laughter, than Snakey, Chimpette's other half. Behind him stood the silent, stoic form of Byakuya Kuchiki, who had a subtle and uncharacteristic smile etched on his face as he regarded the changed duo with his usual, quiet demeanor.

"T-taicho!" exclaimed Renji in surprise and embarrassment at her current situation, backing away from Chimpette, who now resided in her male form.

"Snakey!" yelped Chimpette, reacting in a similar fashion upon seeing her other half. However, seeing the extremely tickled expression on the serpent-boy's face gave her cause for suspicion.

At that moment, the young zanpakuto spirit couldn't hold it in any more and burst into a fit of side-splitting laughter, throwing his head back as he rocked back and forth in time with it. Every few seconds, he would seem to calm down, breathing shallowly and ceasing in his laughter… Then he'd take a look at the two mismatched beings before him and it started up all over again. Finally he could not keep his balance anymore and fell to the floor, literally rolling with stentorian outbursts of humor. This reaction only further founded Chimpette's suspicions that he knew more than he was letting on, and further confused Renji, who was already lost as to the reason why she was suddenly a perfect copy of Chimpette and the zanpakuto woman was now his doppelganger.

'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" roared Snakey in amusement, slamming his fist heavily on the floor boards as tears began to stream from his eyes he was laughing so hard. "(breathe) Right down to the Lard-ass' lard ass! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh man, this is priceless! HAHAHAHA! I-I-I think I'm g-g-gonna, pass out! AH-HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You little pervert!" Chimpette snarled in annoyance and rage as he swooped in and swiftly put his other half in a headlock, pulling on his cheek as she attempted to get him to stop laughing and explain himself. Immediately he was surprised with how much strength Renji's body had for a shinigami. As a zanpakuto, he used to having superhuman strength above that of is wielder, but now that he was Renji physically, he was impressed by this own power, though it was less than his own. "What the Hell did you do to me!"

"To the contrary," admitted Byakuya nonchalantly, his face showing now true emotions other than an unreadable calm as he spoke, earning a puzzled look from both Renji and Chimpette, who had stopped tormenting Snakey long enough to hear what he had to say, "I am the one responsible for your current state, thanks to the one hundredth _bakudo, __**Yuta no Kagami.**_"

"Taicho, you did this?" Renji could barely believe what she was hearing. How could her captain do this to her, and for what reason? Byakuya was never one to act without some rationality behind him, so why would he turn her in to Chimpette and vice-versa? It just didn't make any sense! "But…"

"Why the Hell did you turn us into each other?" exploded Chimpette angrily, dropping Snakey hard on his butt as he released him from the headlock to stamp his feet enraged. "Change us back, right the fuck now!"

"I am afraid I cannot do that, Chimpette," sighed the Kuchiki heir as he continued to explain, again, earning him a befuddled and panicked look from either party involved. "You see, the effects of the _Yuta no Kagami_ last for as many days as there are hands engraved on the mirror of Amaterasu in the ancient myth, so in short, eight days. So, you will be stuck like this for a week and one day, giving you enough time to fulfill your collective wish."

"'Collective wish?'" Now Renji was _really_ confused. What did the captain mean by that?

"Well, the two of you both wanted the other to know 'just how hard it is to be me,' so now you have the chance to find out who has the harder life in a more… 'hands on approach,'" reasoned Byakuya smoothly, finally sensing that the light-bulbs were starting to go on in the heads of his lieutenant and said lieutenant's zanpakuto, which was confirmed a second later when their faces started showing it as well. "And, if I may make a suggestion for the future," he said as he leaned in a little closer to the two, an ominous shadow suddenly covering his eyes as he spoke, a thick cloud of serious killer intent radiating from him as well, "If you're going to complain and argue so combatively over such trivial matters, do it in a more civilized matter, one that does not interfere with my calligraphy practice. Understand?"

At that, both lieutenant and zanpakuto (Chimpette and Snakey) swallowed hard and began nodding their heads up-and-down furiously, knowing full well what happened to people who pissed off Byakuya Kuchiki. If he was made enough to transform them into each other just for their unintentionally messing up his calligraphy, then there was no telling what he would do to them if they ticked him off even further! Satisfied that he'd gotten his message across, Byakuya's usual stoic demeanor returned and he leaned back to his full height, hands folded in front of him and face calm once more.

"Now then, if you wish to stay for the Calligraphy Society meeting in a few moments, then you are welcome to do so, however, I do not want to hear any more arguments from the three of you. If not, then you are free to leave and go about your usual activities." And with that, Byakuya turned on his heel and left the room for the club's designated practice room, stopping along the way to remind a couple of the servants to keep a vigilant eye out for Division 11's lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, as she would most likely show up just to eat all of their snacks and annoy him again, something he was truthfully in no mood for today.

Left alone with their already tumultuous thoughts, both Chimpette and Renji couldn't help but stare off into space as the full reality of their current condition began to fully set in. They were both stuck like this for eight whole days! Eight days of living the other's life in the other's body, with all the responsibilities and problems that person had! This was either going to be heaven or hell, neither of them could tell. One thing was for sure though, they were going to have to at the very least make the best of it. Things could be a Hell of a lot worse, after all. Byakuya could've made them think and act like the person they'd become as well. Still, the idea of living the other's life was a little hard for either of them to accept, being as stubborn as they both were.

'_I'm gonna be stuck in Pineapple Head's body for eight frickin' days!'_ thought a shocked Chimpette as he palmed his forehead in exasperation, dragging his hand down his face to exemplify his dissatisfaction.

"I'm gonna be stuck like this for eight whole days?" thought Renji aloud as she looked down at her body (still Chimpette's body) and gestured at her newfound 'assets' to no one in particular, still confused as to why her new breasts and ass continued to jiggle and sway at the slightest motion even when she stopped moving (though Chimpette's outfit offered them some form of support).

_Click!_

Upon hearing that sound, like the lock on a prison door slamming shut on his social life for the next few days, Renji couldn't help but gulp in realization of the second half of her punishment, slowly turning her head in the direction of the noise. Sure enough, there was Snakey, smiling up at her as pretty as you please, having just latched his collar back onto its rightful place at the end of the chain that now found itself wrapped around Renji's newly waspish waist. Sensing what she was thinking, Snakey couldn't help but continue to beam up at his master and now partner with an impish gleam in his eyes.

"Actually," he chimed in with a slight giggle, still amused by both Renji and Chimpette's current situation, "you're stuck like that for eight whole days, with me attached to your side."

'_Ugh, the final nail in the coffin,'_ bemoaned Renji as a bead of embarrassed sweat formed on her brow in response to the annoyance that she felt, rolling over the raised vein that had popped up as a physical manifestation of that annoyance as well. Seeing no point in leaving the Kuchiki manor just because of their condition, as that would be extremely rude to her captain as their host, Renji sighed in defeat and turned to Chimpette, the sight of each other suffering together offering them both some small form of consolidation. Misery does indeed love company. "Well, should we stay for the meeting?"

"(sigh) Why not?" answered the former baboon spirit in an uninterested tone. "It's not like we're be doing anything really boring for eight more days anyhow. 'Might was well get it over with."

Nodding in agreement, Renji followed Chimpette's lead out the changing room that separated the onsen from the rest of the house, her newly heightened senses telling her that the rest of the club members had started to arrive and the meeting would be starting soon. As he started after Chimpette, she heard the sound of a chain rattling followed by a pair of bare feet sprinting towards her. This was her only warning, as a second later, Snakey leapt up and landed heavily on her shoulders, his tail wrapping itself around her waist as he settled into his second favorite spot when traveling, resting his chin comfortably on her head with his arms hanging loosely about her neck. It was all Renji could do to restrain herself from wailing on the serpent boy as she gritted her teeth and tried to bear with it, slamming the door to the onsen shut behind her.

"Heh, got milk, Abarai-_**chan**_?"

"OH, WILL YOU SHUT UP, SNAKEY?"

**

* * *

**

Author's Note: Heh, well, True Believers, looks like things are gonna be a little complicated for Renji and Chimpette from here on out. With both of them now living in the other's shoes, they're gonna have to see how the other half lives for eight days straight. How will they react to the different elements present in each other's life? Will they learn their lesson when all is said and done? Will Renji and Chimpette finally understand each other a bit more personally now? Is there a possibility that this could bring them closer together in more ways than one? Will Snakey drive Renji totally bonkers with his incessant chattering and childish nature, or will the little tyke start to grow on him? Well, I guess that all depends, True Believers. Should this story continue on to show more of the duration of their curse, or is it okay as a simple two-shot, as it was originally intended? The choice is up to you, dear readers, so be sure to R&R, giving your opinion on the story's continuation or completion. Remember, flames will be doused, trolls will have bridges dropped on them, and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Well, thanks again for the read, True Believers, and I'll look forward to hearing from you in the future. Until next time, stay awesome!


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